Daily Times

A special investigation report on the accounts of Land and Rehabilitation Directorate of Capital Development has revealed how negligence of concerned staff, non-adherence to the provision of CDA Ordinance and ineffective oversight mechanism caused huge losses to national exchequer to the tune of 43 billion rupees.

Original documents available with the Daily Times have revealed that authorities at helm of affairs of CDA’s Land and Rehabilitation Directorate caused huge losses to national exchequer by accommodating affectees as a result of non-taking the possession of earlier acquired land and non-implementation of original Built-Up Property award.

Section 32 and 33 of CDA Ordinance 1960 provides that immediately on making the award under section 28, the land shall vest in the Authority free from all encroachments and thereupon the deputy commissioner may, after giving reasonable notice to the occupier, enter upon and take procession of them.

Investigators observed that CDA had announced the Built-up Property award of the village ‘Kuri’, ‘Sorain’ and ‘Bokra’ on 1-03-1971, 26,-06-1975 and 29-01-1978 respectively after announcement of land awards there-against. The land compensation was also paid to the land affectees accordingly as evident from the latest BUP awards.

… non-adherence to the provision of CDA Ordinance and ineffective oversight mechanism caused huge losses to national exchequer to the tune of 43 billion rupees

However, CDA remained unable to implement the BUP Awards/take over the possession of land from the villagers concerned even after paying the land compensation.

Reasons of inability of CDA to take over the acquired land were not forthcoming from the produced record.

Consequently, two new BUP awards, one for Kuri and Rehara and other for Sorain and Bokra were announced on 2-08-2010 and 31-01-2009 respectively through package deal incentives with the approval of CDA board in its meeting held on March 4, 2008 and January 31, 2009 and decided that all land/landless affectees who were present owner of the land and BUP, whose names or grandfather names were included in previous awards and whose residential-ship proves now, would be accommodated through allotment of plots having size of 25’x50′, 30’x60′, 30’x70′.

Investigation carried by the Directorate General Audit Works (Federal) Islamabad, revealed that 9,656 land/landless affectees were decided to be compensated/accommodated against 1,065 land/landless affectees incorporated in the original BUP awards.

“Due to allowing undue favor/compensation to the land affectees on the cost of CDA which failed to take possession of land acquired about 39-46 years ago, the authority sustained a loss of 53 billion rupees.

“Losses to the tune of billions of rupees could have been avoided had the concerned authorities/directorate performed efficiently,” investigators reveled.

The investigators made it loud and clear that that CDA incurred losses to tune of billions of rupees due negligence of concerned staff, non-adherence to the provision of CDA Ordinance and ineffective oversight mechanism.

A special report compiled on the basis of investigation done by the Directorate General Audit Works recommended authorities to further investigate the matter to fix responsibility and take appropriate measures to safeguard the interests of CDA.

The report is based on Special audit of Land and Rehabilitation Directorate, Capital development Authority Islamabad for the period from year 2006-2016 conducted in pursuance of the directions of Public Accounts Committee during its meeting held on 24-26 May, 2016.

Directorate of General Audit Works (Federal) Islamabad conducted the Special audit during 206-17 with a view to report significant findings to the stakeholders.

Shockingly, the report was never discussed Departmental Accounts Committee despite efforts made by the Audit.

Finally, the Auditor General of Pakistan submitted the special report to the President last year on May, 21, 2018.

Ironically, no further action was taken to fix responsibility.

Published in Daily Times, February 15^th 2019.